Conflict Incident Report

The al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front released on Tuesday 16 servicemen it had abducted from the northeastern border town of Arsal in 2014.
The servicemen were released through a Qatari-mediated deal that also included a prisoner swap to release a number of inmates from Lebanese jails.
The swap took place on the outskirts of Arsal.
The servicemen were transported to Lebanon by the Red Cross amid scenes of jubilation among their loved ones, who were monitoring the developments in Beirut.
The servicemen told MTV that they were treated well by their captors, thanking General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, Health Minister Wael Abou Faour, Qatar, and other officials for their efforts to ensure their release.
They also hoped that attention would be focused on the displaced families on the Lebanese-Syrian border to help provide them with aid.
Hours later, the freed men arrived in Beirut, dressed in their police and military uniforms, clean-shaven, and with their hair freshly cut. An official welcoming ceremony was held for them at the Grand Serail.
They later celebrated their freedom along with their families at the nearby Riad al-Solh Square before they headed to their hometowns.
Thirteen inmates, including five women, were freed in exchange for the servicemen, said al-Jazeera television.
They include the divorcee of Islamic State leader Abou Bakr al-Baghdadi, Saja al-Dulaimi.
She told reporters at the scene that she had divorced al-Baghdadi six or seven years ago and that she intends to head to Turkey.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/195831-nusra-front-releases-16-servic...